DD just had her 4 month check up and everything was great/normal. But her Ped said I really should be giving her vitamin D drops since my breast milk doesnt have enough. I take about 2,000 IU a day, but she says not enough would be coming through my milk. I have mixed feelings about giving her the drops - especially since I would think that my milk is 'perfect' for DD and anymore wouldnt be needed. Does anyone else do the drops? If so, is there any *real* benefit and should I really be doing it? And if you do, what brand does your child like?

We really are made to get vitamin D from the sun. Those of us who live in the north aren't getting enough D from the sun, even in summer, and while 2000 IUs daily might be enough for you, it's not enough for many adults, and not enough to put significant amounts of vitamin D into your milk. Breastmilk just doesn't have a lot of vitamin D. Doesn't mean it's not perfect, it just means we aren't meant to get huge amounts of vitamin D from it. I'll definitely supplement my new baby, and I'll use Carlson's D drops - 400 IUs a day. They are a tiny drop of oil, nothing that should hurt the baby in any way. Some pedis recommend Poly-vi-sol or Tri-vi-sol, but they have additives and sugar and they're made by Enfamil, so I prefer the Carlson's.

Thanks for your opinion! She also recommended to me Carlsons D, she says its just a drop on the tongue, where as the others is alot more than that and doesnt taste good :) I'll be grabbing some tomorrow

I take 6000 IU a day, and now that my baby is eating solids I supplement him with D drops too.

If the mother has adequate vitamin D levels, then her milk will have enough for baby (this has been shown in randomized controlled trials) BUT most of us living in the north (all of Canada!) are vitamin D deficient.

I am always hesitant to give my baby anything orally until they are old enough to be taking in solids. The concept of the "pristine" gut is VERY high on my list of priorities. I would simply up your vitamin D levels. Also, Vitamin D from Cod Liver Oil (available in pill form) is superior in bioavailability to the Vit D available as pills.

Personally, I would request a blood test on my baby prior to supplementation. Some peds take the canned approach and treat everyone the same instead of individualizing the care.

I just hesitate to supplement a rapidly growing baby with anything unless needed. Supplements can cause adverse reactions, have issues in factory production, and so on. I suppose I am just a minimalist and really need to know that something is neccessary in order to deviate from what is natural.

Personally, I would request a blood test on my baby prior to supplementation. Some peds take the canned approach and treat everyone the same instead of indiviualizing the care.

I just hesitate to supplement a rapidly growing baby with anything unless needed. Supplements can cause adverse reactions, have issues in factory production, and so on. I suppose I am just a minimalist and really need to know that something is necceesary in order to deviate from what is natural.

I'm this way with everything except vitamin D. Up here in the north (anywhere in Canada) we don't get enough sun to make vitamin D for ~8 months of the year. Most Canadians are vit D deficient. I saved my baby a poke and got tested myself, and know that I need to supplement myself to get my levels up. Now that he has started solids I supplement him too, as my levels still are not up to 'normal', so I know my milk isn't either.

There is so much research turning up more and more illnesses prevented by having 'enough' vitamin D, I'm willing to supplement. Now, if we were talking routine iron supplementation - no way! That is a completely different issue for me!

I was told this by the ped with my first child and did it just because I didn't think to question it so I gave her tri vi sol once and she broke out in a rash with hives across her face. I took her back to the doctor and was told that what I called "hives" couldn't possibly be hives and vitamin drops never cause a rash. I wasn't about to give it again to my two month old so I never did. I haven't given it to my other three children either and they're all fine. We were living in either upstate NY or South Dakota when they were infants - very little sunlight. I think doctors take the simple approach by recommending vitamins to all babies when only some babies actually need them.

I am always hesitant to give my baby anything orally until they are old enough to be taking in solids. The concept of the "pristine" gut is VERY high on my list of priorities.

I definitely lean toward this view. I've personally asked some IBCLCs about what a vitamin D supplement might do the the immature gut and the answer I always get is "I don't know." I have come across one study that associated allergic rhinitis in adulthood with vitamin D supplementation in infancy. My children spent all summer and half of the fall and spring in the sun when they were little without sunscreen except under very rare circumstances. I fell good about the level of vitamin D they were getting versus the unknown risks of messing with the pristine gut or something else we might not understand. Vitamin D deficiency is caused by a deficiency in sun exposure. It has little to do with diet.

Now, if we were a black family in Canada I might make a different choice. But I do disagree with giving vit. D supplementation as a universal recommendation.

I started vitamin D drops recently with our baby, but DD also started solids now, she is 7 months. She is in daycare 5 days a week, so not outside a lot during the day and the days are shorter now. In the summer I don't give them. I believe vitamin D is very important to keep you healthy, that made me decide to give the drops.

For a four month old, I would also be more hesitant. But on the other side, the Carson drops is only one drop a day. I don't see how that could have a big effect on the babies gut. Then you also shouldn't let them play with toys before they start solids, that will also likely have something foreign on them, unless you boil them before each use. Also their own hands, I don't wash my babies hands often (only at the end of dr. visit or when we went to a public place). My baby has two older siblings, I cannot keep them from touching her hands, giving her toys (that maybe were on the floor) etc.

Thanks for your opinion! She also recommended to me Carlsons D, she says its just a drop on the tongue, where as the others is alot more than that and doesnt taste good :) I'll be grabbing some tomorrow

I put them on my nipple. She sucks it off when breastfeeding. I also take them myself, they taste like nothing, like you are having one small drop of water.

I also put the drops on my nipple, all baby has to do is suck for at least 30 seconds. I think there are many factors that play into the pros and cons of vitamin D drops, for our little one - being a winter baby born in Canada (The sun is setting here by 3pm) it just makes sense. Too many family members and friends are being diagnosed with MS, and studies are now linking Vitamin D deficiencies with MS in a big way. Recently I also heard of a one year old from the southern US that was diagnosed with rickets due to Vit D deficiencies... I think it warrants enough to at least explore testing Vitamin D levels.

I think there are many factors that play into the pros and cons of vitamin D drops, for our little one - being a winter baby born in Canada (The sun is setting here by 3pm) it just makes sense. Too many family members and friends are being diagnosed with MS, and studies are now linking Vitamin D deficiencies with MS in a big way.

i havent given the drops to my other kids (1st time it was not recommended the way it is now) .. I am in the camp of preserving the virgin gut..this was very important with my DS and this time.. iwill not give anything orally until after she starts solids (i expect that won't be til about 8-9 months based on my other kids) - at that point it will be spring/summer and we will be spending enough time outside so she won't need vit. D drops . long story short - we will start vit D supplements for my now 3 month old next winter when she is 15+ months.. I am taking supplements and we get out in the sun whenever possible .. .i think i would reconsider if i lived further north..